Stephen Woodhead said yesterday landowners in the region had not put in enough effort in the past few years.
It was their duty to do so, backing up the council's efforts to release the RHDV K5 virus.
But Cr Michael Laws this week criticised that effort.
A report to the council regulatory committee said there was a 47% decrease in rabbits across monitored sites.
Graphs in the report showed big increases in some areas.
Cr Laws said that it was time for a more interventionist strategy from regional councils, including designated rabbit control teams.
''Leaving rabbit control to land owners is just lunacy.''
He said the rabbit virus had failed, and suggested there was ''a lack of professionalism and intelligent application from those responsible'' for the release of the virus.
Mr Woodhead responded: ''I completely disagree with Michael Laws' criticisms, they are a cheap swipe from someone who does not have the slightest understanding of rabbit control or the work that staff and landowners do with regards to pest control,'' and he did not accept criticism of staff ''for one second''.
Mr Woodhead stood by the 47% figure for the overall reduction in rabbit numbers across monitored sites.
He said the council had been effective in introducing the virus, despite its impact being variable.
There had been an unrealistic idea of what its impact would be.
When a similar virus was first introduced in 1997, the rabbit population had never been exposed to it before, and it had ''a huge impact''.
This time was ''a completely different scenario'', as some rabbits had immunity.
Mr Woodhead said the monitoring role of the council had been decided after council amalgamations in 1989.
At that times there were rabbit boards, ''heavily subsidised'' by the Government.
Both rabbit boards and subsidies ended around that time, and land owners accepted responsibility for rabbit control.
There had been less need to control rabbits after the initial 1997 virus release, but ''the game has now changed''.
Farmers needed to work harder now, and co-ordinate with neighbours.
The committee noted the report yesterday, and asked staff to provide a report on what its next moves should be, working with landowners and focusing on education, enforcement and data collection.
